The Movement to rock Buffalo's

Show starts at 8 p.m.

June 03, 2009

Emily

Haymans

Half South Carolina, half New Jersey based, the four members of reggae-inspired The Movement are as diverse as their sound. With influences ranging from The Pixies to Sublime to Outkast to Nora Jones, The Movement is gaining popularity among fans of alternative rock, reggae, and hip hop. “We like a lot of everything. We love reggae but it’s definitely not pigeon holed into just reggae music,” said vocalist and guitarist Jordan Miller. It all started when Miller and Josh Swain, both Columbia natives, started playing music together when they were about 18 years old. Since then, The Movement has gone from a duo to a trio to a quartet. Though all the current members are experienced musicians, they have only been touring together as a band since January. “Right now, we’re still little zygotes. We’re six months into it, so it’s also a learning process for us. We’re just trying to get our feet in the door,” said Miller. Miller and Swain had recorded two albums, On Your Feet in 2004 and Set Sail in 2008, before adding bass player Jay Schmidt and drummer Gary Jackson to the mix. The duo met Schmidt and Jackson after moving to Philadelphia last year. With the help of producer Chris DiBeneditto and a strong lineup, the guys are looking forward to promoting their latest album and building up their fan base. “We all get along great and it was kind of the perfect fit. We’re very blessed to be a band who six months into it, we have a lot of support, a lot of great guys behind us; a lot of people who believe in the music, who believe in the project.” The Movement has played with G. Love, Blues Traveler, 311, the Wu Tang Clan, and a whole slew of other rock, reggae, and hip hop artists. Though relatively new, the eclectic quartet is already making a name for themselves, with Set Sail reaching number 7 on the iTunes top 100 reggae albums in May of this year. “People really enjoy the music. It’s a really cool thing. It’s just one of those things that people can just kind of come and let loose and enjoy the music,” said Miller. “We’re just trying to get as far as it will take us.” Since February 27, the quartet has been on tour virtually nonstop, playing as far north as New Hampshire and as far south as Florida. The Movement hopes to become part of the West coast music scene this summer as they continue to tour the country. This will be their first show in the Boro. Miller promises an exciting show that will keep the crowd dancing. “People can expect a lot of high energy. They can expect good music,” he said. To learn more about The Movement, check out their website at www.themovementvibe.com. Visit www.myspace.com/themovementvibe to hear some of their songs. The Movement will be at Buffalo’s Southwest Café on Friday, June 5. The show starts at 8 p.m.